Promoting human rights in society
Topic: Critically analyze the extent to which women’s human rights have been adequately promoted and protected by regional human rights mechanisms
The increasing focus towards societal development is contributing towards an increased need for promoting human rights in society. The approach to human rights reflects that in society there is a need for every human irrespective of their age, race or nationality is being treated with respect and equality without any discrimination. In order to ensure such, legislation, as well as policies, have been introduced at global levels by nations as well as international organizations including United Nations (UN). But despite such, it can be reflected that women’s rights remain a key issue within the present global society which is to be focused upon. It can be identified that within the international society the governments, as well as various organizations, have ensured adopting collaborative approaches or practices that can ensure the adoption of approaches towards rights and safety of women.
In the present society, international organizations have been promoting the approach that gender equality and the women rights is not only a fundamental need but is also required to ensure a peaceful and sustainable world. As there exist several key factors which distinguish between the men’s and women’s contributions to the economy or the society such further affects the approaches toward women’s human rights and equality in the society at a global level. This discussion will evaluate the approaches being adopted by different nations and regions across the global societies with respect to the promotion as well as the protection of human rights and especially women’s rights in society. It will help in understanding the present scenario concerning women’s safety and security in modern societies across the globe.
The industry researchers reflect that with the changing societal needs and requirements, the need for sustainable practices has increased. Considering such UN has defined certain key sustainable development goals that can guide the millennials in the society towards the achievement of sustainability and effectiveness. In the process, it is important to ensure the adoption and implementation of human rights so that a balanced approach can be adopted towards social as well as the climate issues existing in the global societies. The researchers state that gender equality, as well as human rights, acts as a key base for the successful achievement of the defined sustainable goals.
Further, the researchers have reflected that a key approach affecting the implementation of rights or equality in society is the economic status of the individual or the group. The researcher defines that despite the focus towards the sustainable goals for millennials and considering human rights as a base for the success of the sustainability goals, the women still form to be a population with low earnings or the poorest group. Such low economic status fails to provide them with the required attention and their rights in society. The study defines that in both the domestic as well as the international society there are various factors and approaches that define the gap between the men’s and women’s rights which are required to be identified and further be eliminated.
Role of international organizations
In the international society, it can be reflected that Africa is among the region facing major challenges or issues due to the uneven wealth distribution, as well as gender inequality. As the government can be identified to be working towards improving living conditions as well as economic status within the region, but still the focus on growth and development for women and girls reflects a huge gap in the society. Such further act as a key barrier to the implementation as well as promotion of women’s rights in the society. The industry data reflects that women across the global marketplace are responsible for about 60% of the work done but despite such, they receive only about 10% of the wages in comparison to men. Further, it can be identified that in the African region, about 70% of the women are excluded from the right to fair wages creating a huge US$42 billion financial gap among the genders.
However, the African government has ensured the development of protocols as well as legislation to ensure the promotion of women’s rights in society. The defined charter or protocol states that in the society there is a need to eliminate any form of discrimination against the women, the government defines that the state parties should ensure that efforts are being made at the social level to ensure that the individual or the community focused barriers can be identified and the women can be provided with their fundamental as well as their social rights in the society. The fundamental rights defined by the African government for the women population include the right to dignity, right to life, security and integrity. Also, it defines that the women within the society have the right to make their own life decisions with respect to marriage, divorce or separation so that their living standards in the society can be ensured be retained.
M Ssenyonjo has conducted a study in African countries and has reflected that despite the efforts being implemented by the government towards the elimination of discrimination and harmful practices within the society, the women are still not able to exercise their rights in the society. Still certain key social as well as cultural barriers can be identified to be existing in the African societies acting as a barrier for the women to exercise their rights in the society. The stereotyping within the societies as well as the lack of the gender or the public education acts as a key challenge in influencing the behavior or the thought process of the society or the community members towards the adoption of the women’s rights and equality approaches in the society. Accordingly, the researcher reflects that despite the government efforts there are certain key issues which are to be considered to ensure overall process effectiveness.
The industry researchers further define that to ensure the society growth and advancement it is important to focus towards women empowerment and education. To reflect upon, Bayeh has considered the case of Ethiopia, and has reflected that the government within the region has actively considered the importance of the women empowerment and education in the society as well as the key sustainable goals being defined by UN in the global society. The government believes that the women constitute towards half of the population, therefore, providing women with the education will help to contribute towards country’s economic growth. Such reflects upon a positive influence or approach of women rights in the global society.
Factors affecting women’s human rights and equality
Also, it can be identified that in the European region the efforts are being adopted within the nation by the government to ensure the promotion of women’s rights and the gender equality in the society. To ensure the achievement of such goals and approaches towards women’s equality and rights the council of Europe has ensured defining upon prospectus that can act as a key guide for the society to eliminate any violence against the women whether in the society or domestic violence. Such has been formed to ensure that the women’s right to be treated with respect and equality in the society can be ensured to be achieved. The government has ensured the introduction of several campaigns, as well as provided the required protection and guidance to the women facing such issues so that the social gaps can be identified and eliminated.
RJA McQuigg has conducted a social study in order to define and justify the effectiveness of the approach adopted by the European government towards women’s violence and understand its impact on women’s rights in society. The researcher has reflected that the effort being made by the government contributes towards being an effective or a positive step to ensure elimination of the gender differences, but despite of such, there exist major issues which are to be considered. As the defined approach depends highly on its adoption at the state level or within the regional communities. Therefore, it is important that the policies or strategies being developed are in accordance with the social as well as the religious beliefs so that their adaptability at different levels in society can be ensured.
The industry researchers have defined that in the present society addressing women’s equality issues, as well as the implementation of their rights in the society, has been a key issue due to the need for focusing towards different areas or approaches in the society. As defined in European Union, the laws and the regulations created with respect to the promotion of the women’s rights have contributed towards providing the required support to the women or the females within the region, but a key threat that can be identified is the exploitation of the migrant women workers, refugees and poor-intra-EU migrants. The researcher reflects that such migrants lack the ability to utilize their rights within the society and still despite such social and economic development the government faces issues or difficulties in providing required access and social equality to the women.
Considering the issue of women’s inequality and rights in society a key challenge has been highlighted by Choi et. al. (2015) in the international industry environment. The researchers have analyzed the global society and have identified that the women’s longevity advantage over men is also a key barrier to their ability to exercise their human rights in society. The age factor is resulting in the increased number of older women in society and thus increases cases of gender abuse and violence in society. However, the UN has defined certain instruments and approaches which have promoted international movements towards the protection of the needs and interests of the older women in the society. But still, they cannot be termed as an effective option to be considered.
Initiatives by African governments
The industry researchers reflect that there exist various policies at both the domestic as well as the international level to ensure promoting gender equality as well as the women’s rights, but still, the lack of proper monitoring and control is resulting in having a negative impact over the implementation of the policies as well as achievement of the set sustainability goals in the society. Maguire and Lewis reflect that in the present society there is a need for the creation of urgency for the need of women’s rights similar to that of the focus on climate change. As the focus on women’s rights will contribute towards improved social standards and approaches which can further lead to collaborative or integrated efforts toward participating in climate change negotiations. Considering such needs of the present society it is important that the issues of gender inequality are to be eliminated.
A key approach in the society defining upon the women rights in the society is the focus towards their sexual and reproductive rights. In the global society, the government and the healthcare authorities has focused towards defining upon healthcare standards for promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights. However, despite of such it can be reflected that the social discrimination among the women and girls as well as the inadequate resources can be identified to be among the key factors affecting the execution of women rights in the global society. The researcher reflects that despite of the efforts towards the improvement of the health standards there is a need to focus towards the women empowerment and education for sustainable development in the society.
UN has been focused towards eliminating the gender gap in the international society and promoting the adoption of women’s rights so that they can have an equal and advanced collaboration toward the growth and development of the world’s economy. Accordingly, it can be identified that the UN has drafted two key policies including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESC) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Such has been done to ensure the promotion of human rights and eliminate discrimination against women due to gender. Also, the UN has implemented approaches to ensure that women can be provided with the right to life, security, liberty, freedom from slavery and violence as well as the freedom of thought and expression.
Apart from that of the European and African regions, it can be identified that the governments, as well as the communities, have ensured the adoption of approaches at their level to ensure fulfilment of the present need of fulfilling women’s rights in the society. Accordingly, in Arab nations, to ensure the protection of the dignity of women and to promote their rights in the society Arab Charter of Human Rights has been defined with an approach to promote life standards and the concept of freedom, justice and equality in the society. Considering the social issues of discrimination and racism the government as well as the social activist has collaboratively defined the charter to ensure the protection of the human rights of both the men and women and considering the cultural as well as the religious values of Islam.
Efforts towards women empowerment and education
The industry researchers Almutawa and Magliveras have defined that such a charter being defined can effectively be utilized in order to promote women’s rights and equality in Arab regions. The charter defines religious beliefs and respect toward women to ensure that the discrimination, as well as the racism towards the women, can be eliminated. Also, the charter provides the women with the right to make their decisions and binds the society or the men to accept such decisions related to the life of the women. It can be identified that the defined Arab charter ensures that any kind of violence or discrimination at any stage of the life of women can be identified and eliminated. The researcher reflects that the charter includes the right to employment as well as fair remuneration and working conditions for the women in the society so that they can be empowered.
In the global society, America can be identified to be among the nations that have been actively working towards women’s rights and is also being considered to be the first nation to develop a women’s rights treaty to eliminate the issues of violence and discrimination against the women. The inter-American system of Human rights has contributed to the establishment of key social standards and approaches which can justify or define any action in society and can protect the interest or the rights of women in society. Such has been aligned with that of the international human rights law in the American region to ensure that the women can be provided with equal status and responsibility in the court of the human rights.
In American society, the government has ensured the establishment of the Inter-American Commission of women as a governmental agency for the development of policies and approaches governing women’s rights within the region. The aim of the commission is to regularly review the existing policies and approaches with respect to women’s rights and conduct discussions to identify any gaps or issues within the existing policy further an advanced approach is to be adopted that can ensure the elimination of the identified gap or issue. Such has also contributed towards improved social and living standards in the society as well as providing women with their rights.
The introduction of the charter, as well as the policies in respect to the promotion and protection of women rights in American societies, has contributed towards improved social standards, but despite such the industry researchers reflect that the women’s rights and inequality in the corporate America stills remain a key issue to be focused upon. The researcher has conducted an industry study which reflects that in America’s corporate sector, the women still face major barriers in the process to be at the leadership roles within the organization as well as facing issues in exercising their rights for fair wages and equal workplace behavior. Such reflects upon the increased need for the government to ensure the adoption of practices and approaches that can influence the organizations or the corporates to comply with the human rights charter so that the overall growth and empowerment of women in the society can be ensured.
European region’s approach towards gender equality
As it has been identified and has been discussed that in the present society it is important to have a focus towards promoting and adopting women’s rights the society. But despite of such efforts, there are several social as well as industry gaps which are resulting in affecting the active implementation of women’s rights. To eliminate such challenges and to ensure overall effectiveness, the UN has further defined the key areas of monitoring and control within the society so that the set or defined aims of the human rights charter in the society can be achieved. In case of any breach in the society, the key areas to be focused upon including the legislation, gender stereotypes, violence against women, education, work, women’s participation in social affairs, as well as health rights in the society. UN states that such helps in order to identify the key gap existing and based on such further changes can be introduced at a global level.
The approach or the process to eliminate or manage the breach in respect to women’s rights depends on the effectiveness of the ability of the defined legal approach or the charter in society. As the introduction of the Istanbul Convention has been a key approach within the society which ensures that women can exercise their rights in the society. The convention ensures the adoption of a 3P approach which includes preventing causes and issues, providing protection to the women and eliminating prosecution and providing both legal as well as social support. Such practices in the industry environment ensure that interdisciplinary approaches are being adopted at either a national or at the international level to ensure the protection of women’s rights in society and to further ensure social development and growth.
The cultural or the social issue existing in the implementation of women’s rights in society has further been defined by R Muftau. The researcher has reflected that in the Nigerian region, the government has ensured the introduction of several legal policies and legislations to ensure that the women can be provided with their rights and respect within the society. But the dominance of the cultural beliefs and the religious sentiments acts as a key barrier within the society to implement the women’s rights laws. The stereotyping, as well as the cultural beliefs within the region, results in having a negative impact on women’s rights and their empowerment in society. Based on such the author reflects that to ensure women’s empowerment as well as to ensure implementation of women’s rights in the society it is important to have focus at both the legal as well as the social level so that a balanced approach can be adopted and further be implemented.
The overall discussion has been focused towards evaluating and understanding the extent to which women’s human rights are being adopted and implemented in the present global society and how they are being protected. The analysis has helped in understanding that in the global society, the nations as well as the international organizations including United Nations have ensured the adoption of key approaches and policies which can contribute to the promotion of the women’s rights and spreading awareness about the need for such policies and positive attitude towards women rights in the societal development. But despite such efforts, it can be reflected that in the present society as well as in the developed economies such as America, there exist certain key barriers due to the social as well as the religious beliefs upon which the government, as well as the organizations, are required to focus upon. Such can further help in identifying key barriers at the global level and accordingly effective communication, as well as awareness programs, can be adopted which can contribute towards an improved approach to women’s rights in the society.
References
African Union, ‘Protocol To The African Charter On Human And People’S Rights On The Rights Of Women In Africa’ (African Union 2003)
Almutawa A, and Magliveras K, ‘Enforcing Women’S Rights Under the Arab Charter on Human Rights 2004’ (2020) 25 The International Journal of Human Rights
Almutawa A, ‘The Arab Court Of Human Rights And The Enforcement Of The Arab Charter On Human Rights’ (2021) 21 Human Rights Law Review
Starrs, Ann M Starrs, ‘Accelerate Progress—Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights For All: Report Of The Guttmacher– Lancet Commission’ (2018) 391 The Lancet.
Arts K, ‘Inclusive Sustainable Development: A Human Rights Perspective’ (2017) 24 Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
Bayeh Endalcachew, ‘The role of empowering women and achieving gender equality to the sustainable development of Ethiopia’ (2016) 2 (1), 37-42 Pacific Science Review B: Humanities and Social Sciences
Choi M, Brownell P, and Moldovan S, ‘International Movement To Promote Human Rights Of Older Women With A Focus On Violence And Abuse Against Older Women’ (2016) 60 International Social Work
Dworkin T and others, ‘Assessing the Progress Of Women In Corporate America: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same’ (2018) 55 American Business Law Journal
Egbetayo V, ‘One Of The Greatest Threats To Africa’S Future: Gender Inequality’ (Globalpartnership.org, 2019) <https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/one-greatest-threats-africas-future-gender-inequality#:~:text=Women%20and%20girls%20still%20lag%20far%20behind&text=In%20Africa%2C%2070%25%20of%20women,1%20would%20be%20full%20parity).> accessed 25 April 2022
Fredman S, ‘Women and Poverty – A Human Rights Approach’ (2016) 24 African Journal of International and Comparative Law
‘Inter-American Human Rights System’ (International Justice Resource Center, 2022) <https://ijrcenter.org/regional/inter-american-system/#Inter-American_Commission_of_Women> accessed 25 April 2022
Jurasz, Olga (2015). The Istanbul Convention: a new chapter in preventing and combating violence against women. Australian Law Journal, 89(9) pp. 619–627.
Maguire R, and Lewis B, ‘Women, Human Rights and The Global Climate Regime’ (2018) 9 Journal of Human Rights and the Environment
Matters G and others, ‘The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention)’ (Gender Matters, 2011) <https://www.coe.int/en/web/gender-matters/council-of-europe-convention-on-preventing-and-combating-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence> accessed 25 April 2022
McQuigg R, ‘What Potential Does the Council of Europe Convention on Violence Against Women Hold As Regards Domestic Violence?’ (2012) 16 The International Journal of Human Rights
O’Connell C, ‘Women’s Rights and The Inter-American System’ [2018] International Human Rights of Women
PALUMBO L, and SCIURBA A, ‘The Vulnerability to Exploitation of Women Migrant Workers In Agriculture In The EU: The Need For A Human Rights And Gender Based Approach’ (European University Institute 2018) <https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/55444/IPOL_STU%282018%29604966_EN.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y> accessed 25 April 2022
Rufai Muftau, ‘An Appraisal of the Legal Rights of Women in Nigeria’ (2016) 52 Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization.
Ssenyonjo M, ‘Culture and The Human Rights of Women in Africa: Between Light and Shadow’ (2007) 51 Journal of African Law
UNHR, ‘Monitoring and Protecting the Human Rights of Women’ (United Nations Human Rights 2011)
UNHR, ‘WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS’ (UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION 2014)
‘United Nations: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment’ (United Nations Sustainable Development, 2022) <https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/> accessed 25 April 2022
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
